NORFOLK, Va. — Over the weekend, News 3 attended the grand opening of the South Trestle, the newest section of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) expansion, where traffic was expected to begin moving onto the first two lanes of the eight-lane highway connecting the South Island and Willoughby Spit.
However, just one day later, officials announced the long-awaited traffic shift would be delayed.
Curious about the sudden change, News spoke with HRBT Project Director Ryan Banas, who explained the reason behind the postponement.
“We go through a very extensive go/no-go process,” Banas said. “That starts as far as two weeks out, we do one a few days out, and then we do one the night of.”
It was during that final round of testing that crews discovered an issue. Fortunately, the problem wasn’t structural, but electrical. Banas explained that while testing begins weeks in advance, some parts of the traffic management system can’t be switched over until the night before the shift because those same systems are still in use on the current HRBT lanes.
“We had some challenges communicating with those systems,” Banas said. “So we stopped and avoided the plan to do the shift in the spirit of making sure that the new roadway and its systems are absolutely functioning to the best of their ability, and that we’re creating a safer roadway.”
The delay, he emphasized, is only temporary.
“From a management perspective, I’m very happy that our processes worked,” Banas added. “The processes we had planned kept safety at the forefront of our mind.”
Banas says the team hopes the traffic shift will occur within the next few days. When it does, drivers are urged to use caution. Traffic pattern changes can lead to confusion and crashes — especially as commuters adjust to new lane configurations and longer nighttime hours this time of year.
“For those daily travelers, just be cautious. Really focus on the road because things are going to be different than they used to, don’t get stuck on autopilot,” Banas said.
As soon as the new traffic shift takes effect, News 3 will provide updates on WTKR.com and through the News 3 app.
